Container separating apparatus



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Patented Nov. 2l, 1944 CONTAINER SEPARATING APPARATUS I Joseph Magnusson, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of `liassachusetts 5 Claims.

This invention relates toa container separating apparatus.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved container separating apparatus in which provision is made for distributing containers being conveyed in a line to form two lines of containers in a simple and efIicient manner. e

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved separating mechanism capable of diverting successive containers being Application October 18, 1941, Serial No. 415,578

conveyed in a line in a manner such as to distribute alternate containers into separate paths.

With these general objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the container separating apparatus and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a, plan view of a container separating apparatus embodying the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

In general, the present invention contemplates the provision of a simple and edicient apparatus for separating containers being conveyed in a line into two separate paths in a manner such that alternate containers are delivered to each of the two paths to form two separate lines thereof. Among the uses for which the present device is adapted is the separation of a line of containers being delivered from a machine operating at a relatively high speed of production,

such as for example, a multiple head bottle cleaning machine, in order to form two separate lines of containers to be delivered to subsequent machines operating at relatively lower speeds,

such as bottle filling machines, whereby a continuous ilow of containers from the high speed machine may be maintained. I-n the preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made for ldiverting successive containers being conveyed in the single line into separate paths by means of a novel separating mechanism having provision for delivering alternate containers to their respective paths as they are passed therethrough, as will be hereinafter described.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, the container separating apparatus includes a conveying unit I0 having a continuously operated belt I2 upon which the incoming containers I4, herein shown as bottles, are conveyed in a line and in contiguous relationship from a preceding machine or other source of supply. The conveyer belt I2 may and preferably will be of the chain type, being provided with flat metal plates I6 secured to the chain I8, and as herein shown,

the chain is arranged to run over an idler sprocket 20 and a driven sprocket 22. The idler sprocket 20 is fast on a. shaft2I journaled in bearings 24 formed in brackets 26 attached to side rails 28 of the conveying unit. The driven sprocket 22 is secured to a shaft 3|) journaled in a bracket 32 attached to the side rails 28. 'I'he shaft 30 extends from a housing 34 enclosing a gear reduction unit which may be of any usual or preferred construction and which is connected to a driving motor 36 through pulleys 38, 40

and belt 42. The conveying unit I0 is supported upon standards 44, 46, the motor 36 being mounted upon a bracket 48 attached to the standard 46.

VIn the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the containers I4 are guided in a single line upon the belt I2 between guide rails 50 to separating mechanism i-ndicated generally at 52. As herein shown, the separating mechanism comprises a pair of cooperating disks 54, 56 which are mounted for horizontal rotation upon'either side of the conveying unit I8 and which are provided with peripheral openings or apertures 58 arranged to receive successive containers presented thereto. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the openings 58 of one disk 54 are arranged to coincide with the closed portions 6I) of its cooperating disk 56 so that in operation, as the disks are rotated, the containers delivered thereto are successively diverted frompthe line by the closed portions 60 into the openings 58, succeeding containers 'beingalternately transferred to openings in opposing disks. Upon leaving the disks 54, 56 the containers are delivered to separate paths 62, 64 formed by'an intermediate rail 66 and extensions of the guide rails 5I) which are spread apart'to accommodate the separate lines of containers at a point adjacent the receiving end of the separating mechanism, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Provision is made for maintaining the opposing disks 54, 56 in their cooperating relationship as above described so that succeeding containers are alternately received in the openings 58 first in one disk and then in the opposite disk. As herein shown, the disks are mounted upon similar shafts 68, 'I0 vertically supported in a bracket 12 attached to the side rails .28. The lower ends of each shaft are provided with bevel gears I4 which are arranged to mesh with similar cooperating bevel gears 16 fast upon a cross-shaft 'I8 journaled in bearings in the bracket 12. Thus, in operation, rotation of one disk will cause its cooperating disk to be rotated a corresponding amount so that the predetermined relationship of the disks may be maintained. As herein shown, a second pair of disks 54, 56 coincident with the first pair and arranged at a different level may be provided in order to provide suitable support for the containers being passed through the mechanism. 'I'he spaced disks are arranged to straddle the guide rails, as illustrated in Fig. 2.`

In the operation of the illustrated device, the containers are advanced on the conveyer belt I2 until the foremost container engages the separating disks, and upon continued movement-of the line of containers, the latter may operate to rotate the normally vidle disks through the pressure of the containers themselvesbeing advanced by the conveyer I2. vHowever, because of the relatively light weight of the containers, provision is made for positively urging the line of containers into the separating mechanism, and as herein shown, this may be accomplished by frictional engagement of the containers to force the line toward and into engagement with the disks to cause the latter to rotate. .As herein shown,

horizontally mounted friction wheels 80, 82 are provided upon either side of the conveyer unit I0 which are arranged to yieldingly and cooperatively engage the opposite sides of the containers in the line-to force the containers for-` ward as the containers are advanced thereto upon the continuously moving belt I2. 'Ihe opposing friction wheels are ,fast upon similar vertical lshafts s4 journmed in brackets se which 'latter the movement of the units when the conveyer is e free of containers.

Provision is made for driving the friction wheels through connections from the idler sprocket shaft 2|. As herein shown, the vertical shafts 90 are journaled in bearings formed in the brackets 26 and are provided with spiral gears 86 arranged to mesh with similar gears 98 secured upon either end of the idler sprocket shaft 2|. ends of vertical shafts 80 and 84 are provided with sprockets |00I |02 which are connected by chains |04 as shown in Fig. l. Thus, it will be seen that as the containers are advanced upon the belt I2, the friction wheels will operate to force the line of containers into engagement with and through the separating mechanism during the operation of the machine. The friction wheels may and preferably will be faced with rubber, cork or other suitable material for engagement with the containers. It will be observed that the ratio between the sprockets |00, |02 is such that the friction wheels 80, 82 will be driven at a rate such as to advance the containers slightly faster than the normal movement of the containers upon the belt I2 so that in the event of a break in the line the friction wheels will operate to advance succeeding containers into contiguous relationship with those which have passed therethrough. In the event of a jam in the line so that further forward movement of the containers is stopped, no damage will result since the frictionally engaged wheels will merely slip against the surface of the adjacent containers. As indicated in Fig. 2, suitable openings |08 are provided in the guide rails 50 for the friction wheels to operate.

From the description thus far it will be observed that the line of containers delivered to the conveyer belt I2 will be forcibly urged through the separating mechanism and that the latter operates to divide the line into two separate paths to be delivered to different machines for subsequent operations. Thus in the operation of the present The lowerdevice, it will be seen that the necessity for timing the operation of the disks with the speed of the containers is eliminated since the separating disks 54, 56 are driven only when engaged by the containers as above described. It will be observed that one corner of each closed portion or tooth of the disks is cut away to provide flat surfaces 6I against which successive containers are urged to effect rotation of the disks. When the foremost container is diverted from the line into one of the openings in the disk so that it is separated from the succeeding container, the latter engages the fiat surface 8| of a' succeeding closed portion to continue the rotation of the disks, such closed portion having been rotated into position for such engagement by the preceding container.

In practice, the size of the disks and the openings therein are carefully coordinated with the size of the container so that in operation, during the diversion of the foremost container into an opening of one disk by a closed portion of its cooperating disk, the succeeding container remains in engagementl therewith thus effecting continued rotation of the disks until a succeeding bearing portion 6| of adisk has been rotated into position to be engaged by the container. At this time the foremost container has been slidingly separated from the line and the succeeding container takes up the rotation of the disks. The preceding containers already engaged within the apertures which are urged forwardly by the frictional engagement of the bottoms of the containers upon the moving conveyer belt I2, also assist, to some extent at least, in rotating the disks. With this construction it will be seen that liability of jamming of the containers in the separating disks is reduced to a minimum since in operation, when the flow of containers is terminated, the separating disks come to rest and cannot start again until the containers are again started forward. Although, in its preferred form, the invention contemplates the provision of separating disks operated by engagement of the containers as described, it is not desired to limitthe invention in this respect.

Upon being released from the delivery end-of the separating mechanism the containers are advanced along their respective paths 62, E4 upon the conveyer belt I2 which, as illustrated, is of suicient width to accommodatey the two lines of containers thus formed. As herein shown, the intermediate rail 66 is secured by a bolt |08 to a supporting plate I|0 extending transversely across the conveyer and which is supported upon brackets II2 attached to the side rails 23. 'I'he two lines of containers being thus advanced are then guided between guide rail extensions |I4, I I6 and across bridge plate I I8 onto separate conveyers |20, |22 to be delivered to their respective machines. The conveyers |20, |22, as herein shown, are angularly arranged with respect to the conveyer belt I2 and lare provided with double chain belts |24, |20, which may and preferably will be driven through connections from the driven sprocket shaft 30 at the delivery end of the device. As herein shown, each pair of chains is arranged to run over idler sprockets |28, |30 at one end of the respective conveyers, the further end not being shown, and over driven sprockets |32, |34 fast upon shafts |30, |38 journaled in a bracket |40, depending from the underside of the conveyer I0, and thence over a pair of guide sprockets indicated at |4| in Fig. 2 for holding the chain in engagement with the drive sprockets II2,

contact with adjacent containers.

|34. The shafts |36, |38 are also provided with bevel gears |42, |44 which are arranged to mesh with similar bevel gears |46, |48 secured to either end of a cross shaft |50 also journaled in the bracket |40. The shait |50 is also provided with a sprocket |52 which is connected by a chain |54 to a sprocket |56 fast on the conveyer shaft 30.

From the above description it will be observed that the present apparatus is capable of distributing alternate containers from a single run conveyer to two branch conveyers in a simple and emcient manner and is particularly adapted for the separation and distribution of'containers being delivered from one machine at a relatively high rate of speed to two separate machines running at relatively lower speeds whereby a continuous flow of containers from the high speed machine may be maintained. It will also be observed that the illustrated separating mechanism is arranged to accommodate itself to the rate of speed at which the containers are delivered theretoso that need for timing the mechanism with the rate at which the containers are delivered is entirely eliminated.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a container separating apparatus for use in separating substantially rectangular containers, in combination, means for supporting a plurality of containers in a line, means for advancing said line upon the supporting means, and means operated by engagement of the containers therewith for separating the line of containers to form two lines comprising a pair of cooperating rotatable members having substantially rectangular apertures therein for the reception of the con'- tainers in the line arranged to alternately divert successive containers delivered thereto into` separate paths, the closed portions of said rotatable members being wedge shaped and adapted to enter between adjacent containers to guide them into their respective apertures, said apertures being oi' a depth substantially equal to the thickness of a container received therein whereby to efl'ect positive separation of the containers to be discharged into said separate paths free of bodily 2. In a container separating apparatus, in combination, a conveyer upon which the containers are moved in a line, and means operated by engagement of the containers therewith for separating the line of containers to form two lines comprising a pair of cooperating rotatable members having apertures therein for the reception of successive containers in the line and arranged to alternately divert successive containers delivered thereto into separate paths, said apertures being of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the containers received therein, the open and closed portions of opposed rotatable members cooperating to elect discharge of the con- 3. In a container separating apparatus for use in separating substantially rectangular containers, in combination, a conveyer comprising a moving belt by which the containers are moved in a line, and means operated by engagement `of the containers therewith for separating the line to form two lines comprising a pair of cooperating rotatable members having substantially rectangular apertures therein for the reception of successive containers in the line and arranged to a1- temately divert successive containers delivered thereto into separate paths, said apertures being of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the containers received therein, the open and closed yportions of opposed rotatable members cooperating to maintain the containers with their side walls in the same relative position with respect to the belt during the separating operatainers with their side walls in the same relative position with respect to the conveyer as when they were delivered thereto, said conveyer passing between and beyond said rotary members whereby to permit the containers to be carried through said apparatus and discharged into separate paths free of bodily contact with adjacent containers.

tion, said conveyer passing between and beyond said rotary members whereby to permit the containers to be carried through said apparatus and discharged into separate paths free of bodily contact with adjacent containers.

4. Apparatus for separating a single line of substantially rectangular containers to form two lines thereof comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced rotary members mounted for rotation in opposite directions, and a continuously driven belt upon which the containers are moved in a straight line and in contiguous relation into engagement with said rotary members to effect rotation thereof, said rotary members having alternate closed portions and substantially rectangular yapertures .formed'therein, the closed portions of one rotary member cooperating with the apertures in the other rotary member to divert successive containers delivered thereto into the apertures of opposed rotary members during rotation thereof, said apertures being of a depth substantially equal to the thickness of a container received therein, said continuously moving belt passing between and beyond said rotary lmembers to effect withdrawal oi the containers from said apertures when they arrive at the discharge side of the apparatus and to permit the containers to be carried through said rotaryA members and discharged into separate paths free of bodily contact with adjacent containers.

5. Apparatus for separating a single line of substantially rectangular containers to form two lines thereof comprising, in combination, a pair of spaced rotary members mounted for rotation in opposite directions, and a continuously driven belt upon which the containers are moved in a line and in contiguous relation into engagement with said rotary members, said rotary members having alternate closed portions and substantially rectangular apertures formed therein, the closed portions of one rotary member coincidingwith the apertures in the other rotary member and arranged to divert successive containers delivered thereto into the apertures of opposed rotary members during rotation thereof, one corner of each closed portion being flattened to form surfaces against which successive foremost containers in the line engage to apply pressure for rotating said members, the opposite corner of each closed portion being wedge .shaped tures.

JOSEPH MAGNUSSON. 

